It's been a couple of weeks or so, but I had the opportunity to visit the Madison Avenue Boutique and see the 2013 Novelties. Along with the rose gold 3810 I previously posted, I was able to photograph pretty much the entire collection. In my opinion, this was a very good year for Breguet. There's a lot of technical improvements in their offerings, and the watches are universally attractive. Over the next few nights, I'll try to post the entire collection, with a start tonight. I believe Paul also had an opportunity to get some shots, so I'm looking forward to his probably much better shots as well!

Once again, a big thank you to Nicky, Seth, and Liliana for their hospitality!

Next up in our journey through the boutique is the Classique Chronograph. Breguet's watchmakers decided to introduce the reference 5287 to honour a legendary movement by giving the calibre 533.3 initially known as 2310 a newly designed coachwork. Originally designed in the 1940s by Albert Piguet at the Lémania workshops, the calibre CH 27 movement blank quickly won a reputation for its endurance and reliability. It drew the attention of highly regarded brands, which preferred to use it for their chronographs rather than undertake the gigantic task of developing their own movement. Its popularity ensured its further evolution into the highly refined calibre 2310. This wonderfully finished column wheel chronograph movement is now available in a new 42.5 mm case in white or rose gold. And, amazingly, it now features a somewhat over-the-top (for Breguet, at least) triple blade folding clasp with a very prominent "B"!

Dial in 18-carat gold, silvered and engine-turned in four different patterns. Individually numbered and signed BREGUET. Hours chapter with Roman numerals. Small seconds at 9 o'clock and 30 minutes counter at 3 o'clock. Tachometer scale around the hours chapter. Breguet open-tipped hands in polished steel.

Next up is probably my personal favorite of the 2013 novelties, the 5277 Classique Réserve de Marche. Along with its great looks, as noted in Breguet's press release, its calibre 515DR movement features an innovation developed jointly by Breguet and its sister company, Nivarox. The movement of this Classique model, in particular its mainsprings, uses a new type of stainless steel with excellent mechanical properties that came out in 2012. This patented material stores more energy in a given volume, which means a greater power reserve and a constant torque for an unvarying rate. This alloy is also ecological, being free of cobalt or beryllium, non-magnetic and stainless. In a further effort to improve the mainspring's functions, the

Swatch Group and Breguet in particular developed an unusual patented design for parts of the barrel, substantially reducing the diameter of the barrel arbor's core, thereby increasing the mainspring's length and number of coils. This brings the power reserve of the reference 5277 from 75 to 96 hours. In the long run this invention will be applied to all the watches produced by the Swatch Group brands. The movement is also fitted with a silicon balance spring and an in-line Swiss lever escapement.

It will be available in white and rose gold, and is a very nice 38 mm in diameter.

On September 12, 1962, John F. Kennedy gave one of his greatest (and my favorite) speeches at Rice University. He laid out the U.S. space program, and one of my all time quotes "But why,
some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to
the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard,..."

I have to think of that quote when I look at an instrument as amazing as the 7800; there's no good reason to make it, but Breguet could, and they did!

From Breguet's press release:

This rose-gold watch is still fitted with Breguet's self-winding 777 movement with a silicon escapement and balance spring. Yet when the button at 10 o'clock is pressed or when a set time
has come, this Classique model plays Badinerie, composed by Johann Sebastian Bach as the final movement of his orchestral suite N°2 in B minor. This has been achieved with a mechanism
similar to that of a musical box, except that instead of the traditional cylinder it has a disc with pegs that act successively on the 15 blades of the keyboard. A second innovation
amplifies the sound so that the tune can be heard without sacrificing water resistance. It is an engine-turned membrane in metallic glass fitted under the movement. Constant developments
in acoustics at Breguet have enabled the intense research into the materials for the keyboard and membrane that would produce the best sound. The membrane allows the gold caseback to have a number of openings so as to create a Helmholtz resonator to broadcast the sound, while maintaining water resistance at 3 bar (30m). Finally, research progress in magnetism has led to Breguet fitting a magnetic governor for the melody. This patented system, which consists of isolated magnets in a cage, reduces unwanted sound while avoiding the wear found in conventional centrifugal governors.

It's a beautiful timepiece, and the sound is surprising.

Case in 18-carat rose gold with the caseband engraved with a musical score. Full caseback. 48mm diameter. Welded lugs with screw bars. Water resistant to 3 bar (30m).

The centre of the dial rotates completely when the music is activated. On/off indicator for the sound in an aperture between 9 and 10 o'clock. Power-reserve indicator for the music in an aperture at 3 o'clock.

Self-winding movement. Numbered and signed BREGUET. Cal. 901, 17 ¼ lignes, 59 jewels. Power reserve of 45 hours with sound on and 55 hours when set to silent. In-line Swiss lever
escapement. Flat balance spring in silicon. 4Hz frequency. Adjusted in six positions.

Magnets. Who'd have thought of magnets in a watch?? Isn't magnetism the bane of a watch's existence?

Apparently not.

The Breguet Classique Chronométrie 7727 is a technological marvel. According to Breguet, they've received over 100 patents in the last 10 years; a 6 of them are reflected in this watch, most importantly in November of 2010, they patented the magnetic pivot for use in the watch. The 7727 is available in white or rose gold, and features their new hand-wound calibre 574DR, a 10Hz movement with a 60 hour power reserve. Breguet's watchmakers have designed a stable system using two endstones incorporating powerful micro-magnets (approx. 1.3 teslas) that keep the balance staff centred and self-adjusting. One of the magnets is stronger than the other to create a magnetic gradient. A magnetic flux, generated within the balance-staff induces a magnetic attraction that keeps the end of the pivot in contact with the endstone. The system is designed to negate positional influences on timing, and the results are impressive: the reference 7727's average rate is -1/+3 seconds a day, well within the COSC chronometer standard of -4/+6 seconds a day.

The watch is also visually stunning! The dial is engine-turned in six patterns: "Geneva waves" in the centre, a hobnail pattern for the small seconds, sunrays on the tenth-of-a-second dial and chevrons for the power-reserve indicator. The hours chapter is cross-hatched while a barleycorn pattern decorates the outer edge. That tenth-of-a-second dial is spectacular in action!

Dial in 18-carat gold, silvered and engine-turned in six different patterns. Individually numbered and signed BREGUET. Hours chapter with Roman numerals. Small seconds at 12 o'clock and 10ths of a second at 1 o'clock. Breguet open-tipped hands in polished steel.

So, last but certainly not least of this phase, is the 5377, Classique Tourbillon extra thin automatic. We'll get back to that last word later in the photos...

We begin with a 3mm movement in a 7mm thick case, which I attempted to illustrate in some of my photos. To that, they've added a platinum rotor located at the edge of the case, which gives the illusion of a manual wind. And, despite the thin movement, they've worked some form of magic or alchemy and achieved a 90 hour power reserve with a single barrel!

Pulling a few excerpts from the press release, this complicated watch is distinguished by its off-centre tourbillon, which is protected by several patents. The tourbillon carriage and the balance are in titanium, the balance-spring is made of silicon and the escapement is in silicon and anti-magnetic steel. The new calibre 581DR fitted into this timepiece beats at 4Hz -- a high frequency for a tourbillon -- without sacrificing power reserve. Four engine-turned patterns demonstrate fine workmanship with a hobnail pattern for the hours and minutes chapter, a barleycorn surround, a straight chevron pattern for the power-reserve indicator at 8 o'clock and cross-hatching to outline each feature. A blue sapphire crowns the centre of the tourbillon bridge to draw the eye down from the hands. All this in a 42mm case.

In other words, this watch is drop dead gorgeous, featuring a great combination of watchmaking skill and technology. An absolute joy to see!